【Freshman Transition】Alpha Leader
- 日期 : 2024-02-26
- 分類 : 哇塞秘境
- 點閱 : 386
The origin story of Tunghai’s Alpha Leader
The phrase, Alpha Leader was invented in Tunghai University in 2011. The story behind it started from a trip to Azusa Pacific University. A few Christian faculties were touched after the trip, and hoped to bring back the intimate connection between faculties and students that was present at the start of Tunghai University. The faculties started planning the student program known as Alpha Leader, in hope to continue the spirit of liberal arts education and “pioneering will be our motto” said by Tunghai University’s first President, Mr. Benuson Tseng, and began a new, innovative student movement. In 2011, the Vice President of Tunghai, Fang-Pai Yeh, and Dean of Student Affairs, Wen-Tsung Lo, along with a group of professors, initiated freshmen orientation, which became a crucial link to the Instructional Excellence Project, marking another milestone.
Reaching its twelve year anniversary, the Alpha Leader Project, at its inception, aimed to create a support system for the 3,500 incoming freshmen during the four days and three night freshmen orientation. To facilitate the freshmen blend into university culture, effectively enhancing learning motivation through companionship and guidance from Alpha Leaders; On the other hand, also to develop a positive learning attitude, and skills needed for self-directed and interdisciplinary learning.
In pursuit of these goals, what competencies and skills should Alpha Leaders possess? How to nurture the needed competencies and skills? These two questions have been continually discussed since the establishment of the project, and led to the gradual development of a more comprehensive and systematic Alpha Leader freshmen support system. The initial plan was to incorporate guidance, discussion, reflection or hands-on activities into the four days and three nights. Given that, most courses were designed from groups of thirteen to fifteen students, needing around 250 guides to serve the 3,5000 freshmen. To ensure these guides understand the overall course design, and have the ability to “guide”, the university opened 4 training camps during summer break. All Alpha Leaders must participate in the three day training. The approximately 250 team guides trained in that year were the first generation of Alpha Leader.
Freshmen Orinetation in America
Boston University in America initiated freshmen orientation in 1888, and since then, many domestic college and universities have started adopting similar practices in recent years (Gao, & Cai, 2011), to build on top of traditional, freshmen training activities by adding more professional guidance, provide a better overview of university life and learning. Various institutions use different names for their freshmen orientation, for example, the Orientation Camp of National Taiwan University, Now the New You from National Taiwan Normal University, freshmen orientation camp from National Kaohsiung Normal University, freshmen camp from National Tsing Hua University, freshmen orientation event from Yuan Ze University, and freshmen orientation for Tunghai University. No matter what the name, all these fall under the umbrella of “freshmen orientation”, which is a series of event that integrate relevant resources and manpower to assist freshmen transition to campus life, including food, clothing, housing and transport, familiarize with campus environment and resources, and future academic and career path, etc, which serve as the first lesson for incoming freshmen (Zhan 2010).
America has a long history of promoting freshmen orientations. Harvard’s faculty have proven the benefits of establishing a freshmen support system in the early stage of university life; this was the first case of upperclassmen assisting freshmen to transition to university life. (Upcraft, Garden, & Associates, 1989). Increasing research confirms the importance of freshman year in the successful academics during university, which is often described as life-changing and transformative for freshmen, akin to the tumultuous stage in adjustment to adulthood (Posey, Hill, Gomez, McFall, Humenik, & Clifford, 2015). Proper arrangement from university can aid and positively impact the transitions for incoming freshmen, and allow more immediate and effective understanding of the university and its surroundings. And how to guide the incoming freshmen through the translation to university life, and lead to continuous and self-motivated learning is a challenge all universities in Taiwan need to face head-on due to the diversification and complexity of the university student population, coupled with intensified competition due to sub-replacement fertility. (Liang, 2011; Burgette & Margun-Jackson, 2008; Dõlekmen, 2007).
The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) from America had established 11 benchmark indicators for freshmen orientation:
1. goal-orientated,
2. coordination between the relevant offices,
3. Open to all freshmen,
4. Assist freshmen understand the purpose of higher education and the mission of the university,
5. Assist freshmen understand their responsibility in the educational environment,
6. Provide freshmen with comprehensive information in academic policies, procedure, requirements and diverse options,
7. Informed freshmen the services and programs they can access,
8. Assist freshmen to familiarize the campus and local environment,
9. Provide planned opportunities for freshmen to interact with faculties and upperclassmen,
10. Provide freshmen with information and opportunities for self-assessment,
11. Offer support and support group for freshmen with information related to freshmen orientation.
These indicators are there as reference for universities when planning freshmen orientation. The Alpha Leader project at Tunghai is a peer coaching mechanism that aligns with the indicators and provides support systems and opportunities for interaction between freshmen and upperclassmen during orientation.
Peer Coaching and Spirit of Servant-Leadership
Research by Austin (1993) discovered peers are the group that most significantly influence students' learning. The subculture formed between peers influences the time management, values, and learning attitude of students. This indicates that the groups university students engage on campus heavily influences their actions and lifestyle during university. Utilizing peer coaching through purposeful implementation can help achieve various benchmark indicators related to promoting judgment, satisfaction and continuous learning in peers (Hamid, 2001). Tunghai university has three coaching groups for freshmen; Alpha Leaders during freshmen orientation, dormitory heads in the residential and learning environment, and labor education leaders leading the labor education. The three groups serve as peer coaches, and infuse formidable strength into the freshmen transition process.
Wu (2014) define peer coaching as a process of cultivating new skills or problem solving ability and promoting professional growth and development through sharing, discussion, encouragement, support and reflection. Upperclassmen leading underclassmen is similar to “peer monitoring”, and considered as a form of “cooperative learning” or “peer learning” (Brawer, 1996; Haworth & Conrad, 1997; Kerks, 1998). The support system established by the Alpha project at Tunghai University, Alpha -> Senior-Alpha (SA) -> Coordinator-Alpha (CA), resembles peer coaching within an informal organization. Research has found these relationships will become long term relationships where they care for one another, share visions and goals. The University of Missouri in America has implemented Freshmen Interest Groups (FIG), which encourage “change” and ”promote collaboration”. The goal of FIG is to promote integrated learning and social experience within and beyond the classroom, and coordinating between leadership skills and logical concepts. FIG offers a platform for freshmen to seek help when encountering challenges or difficulties, builds supportive partnerships, and simultaneously facilitates the students' development and learning, fostering a successful university experience (Schroeder, Minor, & Tarkovsky, 1999).
The theoretical model of situated learning, ”legitimate peripheral participation (LPP)” developed by Lave and Wenger (1991) emphasizes cooperative learning, with more experienced learners as coaches, guiding the less experienced to actively participate, with emphasize on the importance of the process of discussion, beginners and less experienced will more actively participate in the learning. Learning through discussion clarifies the philosophy of the learner, and establishes shared knowledge meaning.
Tunghai University advocates the concept ”Servant Leadership” within student communities: a service-orientation leadership based on value of altruistic and obliging, in hopes the core value of altruistic services would take root in the heart of members student communities that operates with increasing maturity, and eventually nurturing leadership talents with distinctive Tunghai characteristics. Sendjava & Sarros (2002) interpret the serve concept of servant leadership as “I serve because I am the leader” and “I am the leader because I serve”. The idea of mutual causation between “leader” and “server” is also in sync with the Alpha Leader Project, with the project nurturing student leaders through serving other students. Through the evolution of modern theories of leadership, leadership is no longer a superior-subordinate relationship, instead it is how influence is demonstrated through the leadership process, especially in a more easily acceptable and executable approach to students.
Furthermore, scholar Hunter believes “love” plays an important role in application of servant leadership. Love, coupled with determination is the cornerstone of servant leadership, without the determination to serve others and the love to find and satisfy others needs, there will be no altruistic actions, or only the intention and action to serve without concern for others needs, then the actions of leaders will not satisfy their true needs (Lin, 2014).
Patterson (2003) further established the theoretical framework of formation pattern of servant leadership, this pattern includes seven components: Arapaho love, humility, altruism, vision, trust, empowerment, and service.
The above scholars definition of servant leadership is applied to the Alpha Project here at Tunghai, and related spirits are nurturing the group's culture and inheritance of that spirit.
The Dyanmice Developmental Porcess of Alpha Leader System and Courses
Freshmen Orientation and Alpha Leader Project hit its twelve years anniversary. At the inception of the Alpha Leader project, the aim was to create a support system for the 3,500 incoming freshmen during the four days and three night freshmen orientation. To facilitate the freshmen blend into university culture, effectively enhancing learning motivation through companionship and guidance from Alpha Leaders; On the other hand, also to develop a positive learning attitude, and skills needed for self-directed and interdisciplinary learning.
In pursuit of these goals, what competencies and skills should Alpha Leaders possess? How to nurture the needed competencies and skills? These two questions have been continually discussed since the establishment of the project, and led to the gradual development of a more comprehensive and systematic Alpha Leader freshmen support system.
To answer the first question, we have to come back to the fundamental goal of the project, to train upperclassmen to be obliging, to build relationships and subsequently guide, accompany and influence freshmen. To accomplish this goal, repeated discussion and reposition lead the university to focu on development of core aspects of “servant leadership”. The university hopes to nurture the abilities to help and serve others in Alpha Leader, and for them to set an example for the freshmen, and lead to beautiful stories of “life influence life” on campus.
On the topic of how to nurture these competencies and abilities involves two aspects, organizational and courses. On the organizational aspect, Tunghai created a learning organization for opportunities to interact and positively influence others based on the concept of peer coaching. The university hopes with increased time together, members can influence each other on values, life experience, thinking pattern, and learning attitude. The organization also serves as a platform for Alpha Leaders to systematically accumulate, share and pass their experience and achievements. The structure of Alpha leader was determined by students to be a concentric zone model after years of organizing and restructuring. With the outermost circle being the coordinator-Alpha that plan the overall development direction and operation of the Alpha team and nurture Alpha and S-Alpha. The next circle is Senior-Alpha, who nurture the Alpha, and the Alpha directly influences the incoming freshmen. In this concentric zone model, each of the coordinator-Alpha, S-Alpha and Alpha have their separate goal and lead to the training course map for each role.
Training Map for Different Stage of Alpha Students
1. Alpha Leader
Two courses, one semester-long “dot-shape ability development” and “summer guided active processing training”. The course of dot-shape ability development focuses on topics like communication, empathy, teamwork, interpersonal relationship, etc. While the summer guided active processing training utilizes experimental education to inspire active processing. In addition, the experience and reflection from serving others during the four day and three night freshmen orientation is also a crucial learning process.
(1) Dot-shape ability development course
A training course structured around the list of abilities an Alpha needs based on discussion by Senior-Alpha in 2012. The course content includes “Alpha and Tunghai”, with a focus on familiarizing the campus environment, resources and establishing interpersonal relationships. The course later became general education credit in 2018, named Tunghai Style, taught by professors from the architecture department, history department, in collaboration with professors with backgrounds in management and psychology. The course covered various topics, such as “self recognition”, “communication and expression”, “teamwork”, “Tunghai’s history and philosophy”, etc. In addition, the university also arranged hands-on-experience and lecture courses to enhance students' empathy and communication skills. Everyone is required to participate in a total of 24 hours course load. The courses officially became general education credit in 2018, with addition of guidance from professors from Tunghai, and emphasis on peer-lead discussion process.
(2) Summer guided active processing training
This course employs professional experimental education experts to lead the three day guided active processing course. The course focuses on team building, self-identity, effective learning, communication and expression, hands-on leading experiences and guided active processing skills. In addition, Senior-Alpha leads a four day rehearsal training before the freshmen orientation; the training focuses on maintaining a support system, tips on tricks on leading activities, mental preparation before the orientation, introducing the campus, and pre-rehearsal of administrative matters. The rehearsal process takes approximately 50 hours.
(3) Serving others in freshmen orientation
Tunghai’s freshmen orientation is a four day and three night course entirely led by Alpha Leaders. Apart from the few main theme courses chosen by the university, the rest is planned and led by Alpha Leader, choosing the method and contents they believe is most useful to familizar the freshmen with the campus. This is where the Alpha put the past few months of training to full use and took control of the serving process. Here’s the reflection and comment from the 100 Alpha Leaders from 2022, which is separated into several topics.
A. Abilities learned from training and serving others
Leadership, communication and expression, active listening, handling affairs, problem solving, organizational skills, understanding, coordinating affairs, put oneself in other’s shoes, social skills, deeper level communication, self recognition and empathize with others, crisis management
B. Lesson and changes from training and serving others
More patient, understanding oneself on a deeper level, learn how to interact with different type of people, enhance stress resistance, increased confidence, independent thinking, sense of responsibility, ability to put oneself in other’s shoes, and utilizing their traits to interact with people
2. Senior-Alpha
Deepend guidance techniques, provide guide course certification, offer professional experimental education basic concept course, basic guidance technique training and application, etc. Also offer courses to cultivate certain abilities, like beginners counseling techniques, team dynamic, etc. These courses provide Senior-Alpha the ability to become the backup force to support Alpha Leader during the freshmen orientation.
(1) Group dynamic and guidance
The most important mission of this four day course is for the Senior Alpha to establish a team. The content of this course include, theories of team building, accountability theory, cooperative learning, learning and leadership style, putting oneself in other’s shoes, and active processing through experiential education activities, etc.
(2) Team operation and activities planning hands-on courses
Planning and hosting recruitment events, design training courses, activities to familiarize with campus; team operations, and possess abilities to plan and execute large events and teamwork.
3. Coordinator-Alpha
Conduct intensive, interactive learning courses weekly through tutoring, guide and nurture hands-on ability, leadership traits. Also nurture leadership ability through direct observation, interaction and conversation with other universities or organizations, and hands-on experience with the operation of Alpha system. THe cooperative learning group starred in 104, offering training courses during the school year in small groups.
Notable Milestone in Various Training Courses for Alpha Leaders
Summarizing feedback from generations of Alpha Leaders on different categories of training courses, it can be organized into the following points:
A. Feedback on quantitative course information, students satisfaction on the two types of courses mentioned above are mostly satisfactory. The overall sensitivity of dot-shaped ability development course is lower, and lack significant learning result, possibly because a lack understanding on how to apply the course content to the role of Alpha Leader.
B. Feedback on quality of course, Alpha Leaders report the longer-duration courses such as “Tunghai style” and “Summer active processing training” were helpful in attaining learning results.
C. “Summer active processing training” had the most positive feedback. Out of all the learning topics, most students agree experimental education is a special and new learning method. They express strong linking for the concept of conductive education, and integrating theory and application can lead to deeper learning.
D. (Regarding the content of the summer training) The three day course is full of content and useful, combining theory and application, with the addition of reflection allowing students to learn through trial and error, identify problems, and seek better solutions.
E. (Regarding the content of the summer training) I Learned a lot during the three day course. I am happy I joined the course and did not miss out.
F. (Regarding the content of the summer training) I really really like the course arrangement. The course from the trainers was full of content, with clear and easily understandable goals and core concepts. I met a lot of people, and learned a lot of things, and received a lot of knowledge.
Through analyzing the quantitative and qualitative feedback on the courses:
1. On learning results: students expressed that dot-shaped lecturing was less effective.
2. On course time: intensive education where the course is concentrated and taught within two to three days, like “Tunghai style” and “summer guided active processing”, yields the best learning result.
3. On teaching method: through experimental education and conductive education, along with peer-involved group discussions, helps students understand the concepts and application more easily.
4. On course objectives: communication and expression, empathy training, team works, interpersonal relationship. Self-identity, effective learning, experience activities lead and guide reflection skills. Students believe they achieved good learning results in communication and expression, team work, self-identity, and hands-on experimental activities.
Feedback from Senior-Alpha and Coordinator-Alpha on training course and team building course include the following:
A. Change their biases.
B. Learned how to conceptualize things they already do but didn’t know how to conceptualize.
C. Desire to focus on self actualization through deep reflection, as reflection leads to self growth.
D. Learned a lot of problem solving tips and tricks, gained a deeper understanding of oneself, how to establish goals and team spirit. These skills will be beneficial to my role as SA and any other roles I might have.
E. Genuinely “care” about each other, be “sincere” to others, and become someone who can “empathize” with others.
F. Communication takes a lot of time and a steep learn-curve, but I am willing to express my ideas and feelings to my partners. I am willing to invest the effort and unity…Everyone can open up and share some meaningful things.
G. I realized you can find the ability through anything, I found the value of the SA team to my life.
H. I found out that giving makes me happy, I like the me that’s willing to spend the time and effort to help my partners, I used to be unwilling to give too much,….
I. I want to become like my Senior-Alpha, and believe the SA team has a lot of unity and team spirit, it’s a place where everyone can grow together.
How Does Peer Tutoring System and the Concpet of Servant Leadership Influence Alpha
This study chose five subjects for in-depth interview and analysis. All five subjects have over two years of experience in the Alpha Project, taking on roles of Senior-Alpha(SA) and Coordinator-Alpha(CA). The study included three female subjects and two male subjects. Their respective major includes female subject A(SA), a senior from the department of applied physics, male subject B(SA), a senior from the department of foreign languages and literature, male subject C(CA), a senior from deferment of economics, female subject D(SA), a junior from the department of statistic, and female subject E(CA) from the department of philosophy. Three of the subjects received in-person training and led in-personal freshmen orientation; two of the subjects participated in online training and online freshmen orientation. The subjects were chosen due to their different academic background, different role in the team, different training and serving experience. This study aims to analyze their motivation for joining the Alpha project, their learning results, influence on peers, growths and changes.
A variation in the depth of sharing their experience participating in the project across subjects primarily due to the different training method and serving method was observed throughout the interview process. This project was like many others, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Alpha project has utilized activities driven, experimental education, conductive education from the start, and those methods are heavily dependent on the relationship and learning pattern established through in-person interaction. This interview revealed that SAs that went through in-person training courses and hosted in-person freshmen orientation have deeper feedback on the learning and team dynamic aspect, and share more diverse content. The impact of what they learned in the team has a far more significant impact than what the researchers expected. This phenomenon is not due to difference in the role they play in the team (SA or CA) or their grade level in university, but rather due to the difference in their serving experience that contributed to the subtle yet significant differences.
1. Male subject B is an SA, who underwent in-person training and served in the in-person freshmen orientation. His biggest gain from his journey as an SA is his recent reflection on learning how to become a genuine person, which he found his answer in his journey.
2. Male subject C is a CA. He revealed that he was very concerned about what others think of him, his high school classmates said he became very considerate of others, he thought about how the receiving end would feel before talking, which was very different from his personality before he joined the Alpha project,…his change was also significant to himself
3. Female Subject D is an SA. Her biggest challenge joining the team was how to host big events. Her learning seems to stay at training of basic abilities and not yet internalized as true competencies.
4. Female subject A is an SA. She originally thought she could not apply what she learned from the SA team into other fields and circumstances, and thought she needed to convert.
During their interview, subjects revisited their initial motivation of joining the Alpha project, their eyes sparkled as they talked about their journey, it seems to be a story in their university life worth keeping documenting. Tunghai university started developmening freshmen orientation during 2010, followed by the birth of the term Alpha Leader in the following year, this sparked some common topics on the campus. How’s your Alpha? Are you also an Alpha? I also want to try being an Alpha?
The interviewed Senior-Alpha mostly describe Alpha as, he’s like a little sun, passionate, approachable, warm, has a sincere smile; although I felt a bit shy when first getting to know them, a bit choppy when he talks, a bit foolish, try very hard to hype the mood, but you can feel that they truly want to help us (in a altruistic way). Many of them want to become a Alpha because of help they received from their Alpha; despite the seemingly simple concept of helping others peoples, but rumor has it that the Alpha team is like a cult, with a hidden invisible force, the influential force spread from peer to peer, this interventional policy by Tunghai University planned for freshmen is born through the freshmen orientation course plan.
They never regretted joining this organization, even expressed in many instances that they were glad they became an Alpha Leader, and hope the project can continue forever. Many people do not know why we spend so much time here, the reason is I like the team atmosphere, you feel loved, cared for, accepted, free to make mistake, there will always be someone with you when you need it (caring for others)…these are the shared feeling from all of the subjects interviewed. Seeing the team making a difference, I realize I can genuinely assist others in needs (esteem).
Most of the subjects said they like the learning tools taught by the team, they never knew that theories and concepts can be applied; experimental education and conductive education is a learning method genuinely they enjoy. They might not enjoy studying before, because theories and concepts are hard to grasp, and weren't sure how to apply them. Learning with the team allowed them to naturally remember the theoretical tools and how to apply. For example, ladder of inference can be quite handy, especially when interacting with others and leading a team. Or the 5W2H, often heard about but unclear application, however I can now seamlessly apply them when communicating with people (empower).
I did not feel so strongly about why the university arranged so many training courses when I am an Alpha, it just felt nice to be able to learn those things, but I did not understand why I learned it (empower); but when I became a SA, I realized all these training are important. Learning occurs silently within the team, they all like the training course, and feel useful through the continuous journey of learning. What kind of magic does this team have to let them persist and continue to serve others; there is no monetary return, and they are willing to put in the time and effort to receive training and improve their abilities. Their answers is might be because there is a team of people with the same ideals, working towards the same goal, the feeling is really nice: in addition, the team come from different departments, although everyone have very different thoughts and perspective, but we can all be best friends, and see the strength in each other, influence each other and grow together (humility). I learned to look at things from different perspectives from partners, and they’re willing to view each other positively, to understand others, to be considerate of others and their needs (serve and altruistic).
The team has upheld the honor system since the start of the project in 2011, to train students with abilities they can apply to the rest of their life through the team and influence of peers to let students help each other and influence each other. The culture and spirit of the system continued to be passed down. They might have less time with each other in-person, but the spirit of serving planted by everyone’s Alpha acts like the missionaries in the Christian faith, it persists and continues to spread the power of light wherever they are.
撰文：李佩玲
翻譯：楊思媛